Having secured an absolute majority in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, the Naga People’s Front's success depends on how they exercise leadership and articulate a shared vision for the future. Making promises during the election was expected; however, making their promises and slogans become reality will be the greater challenge that will test their genuine intentions, cohesiveness and creative leadership. Their sweeping majority requires them to exhibit a high quality of statesmanship. In the present situation, statesmanship qualities would mean acknowledging that their victory does not necessarily mean the public approval to how they have performed in the last ten years. After all, the entire election process in Nagaland is quite divorced from every day peoples’ realities and issues.
While democracy has often been simply referred to as the rule of the majority, when left unaccountable, the rule of the majority, as experienced in many parts of the world, has also often led to tyranny by the majority. This makes applying democracy's inclusive participatory values and nurturing solidarity across differences even more imperative. It is essential for the new Nagaland state government to engage in some honest self-reflection which earnestly and sincerely assesses the ground realities that will eventually enable them to define the quality and style of leadership that is required. The values of shared concern and inclusion for the common good of all people are imperative to this process.
Perception is politics and public perception is of the view that much more substantial development and quality infrastructural work should correspond to the enormous amount of resources allocated by the centre. This public perception cannot be ignored; neither can it be wished away. The only way to address this public perception is to ensure that real development work is actually happening on the ground. Consequently, despite the overwhelming majority, a critical first step that the new Nagaland state government will need to initiate is to rebuild public trust and confidence in order to undertake tasks related to sustainable development. The challenge of establishing public trust is fundamental to good governance that upholds the rule of law because such a trust is reciprocal and seeks to address the most basic of human needs in the web of interdependence.
A central element in building trust depends on the kind of leadership that Neiphiu Rio will provide as the Chief Minister of Nagaland. While he has shown leadership qualities for politicking, organizing, diplomacy and the innate ability to acquire and build inter-personal relationships, it remains to be seen whether he has statesmanship qualities. This moment in time, perhaps presents Rio with the best opportunity to demonstrate statesmanship like qualities. It implies transcending the role of a leader and embracing the necessity to place the people’s needs above all other individual and party interests. It requires overcoming the temptation to produce high sounding slogans and focusing on the most basic of human needs. In the present context, this would mean, reducing poverty, building a sound infrastructure with good roads connecting all parts of the state, ensuring a continuous supply of electricity, providing accessible quality health care and safe drinking water supplies for everyone.
